Time won’t heal mum’s grief for child
Every day is a struggle for Sophia Perera since losing her daughter three years ago.
Valentina Warren was threeyears-old when she died after being run over in her family’s driveway on November 21, 2014.
‘‘I miss her constantly. She was the light of my life, she was my world,’’ Perera said.
‘‘The day she passed the world turned on its axis for me.’’
The Te Atatu¯ Peninsula resident has teamed up with Foster Hope to raise money for the charity and honour her daughter’s memory.
Valentina’s Purple Hope Day would take place on November 21, the third anniversary of the toddler’s death.
Money raised would go towards funding a trip to Kiwi Valley Farm for foster kids.
Perera said this was a stepping-stone in her healing process although the grief would never go away.
‘‘People who say time heals haven’t lost a child.
‘‘I didn’t get to teach her to ride a bike, I didn’t get to take her to the movies, I didn’t get to see her start school.
‘‘A child’s just not supposed to go before [a parent]. Especially not at three-years-old.’’
Perera said she wanted to work with a charity that helped young children who had nothing more than the clothes on their back.
‘‘I definitely think this is something [Valentina] would be drawn to and really proud to be a part of,’’ she said.
The colour purple would play a significant part in the day as it was Valentina’s favourite colour, Perera said.
‘‘She was drawn to anything purple,’’ she said. ‘‘For me now, since she’s passed, I’m drawn to anything purple as well.’’
Perera said her daughter was one out of the box.
‘‘My daughter was such a compassionate child for a three-yearold. It was just amazing and really unique actually that she had so much empathy.’’
Perera said she had wanted to do something significant to honour her daughter’s memory ever since she passed, but it was only this year that she felt up to it.
She said the first year anniversary of Valentina’s death was a blur and the second was still very hard.
‘‘It just so happened that in the third year I had the strength to be able to organise it all,’’ she said.
‘‘What is essentially a horrific day for us, I wanted something positive to come out of it.’’